Patriots work with Boys & Girls Club for 'Holiday Blitz'

Growing up, it provided a home away from home for Ty Warren. “It was a place to go,” the New England Patriots defensive end said of his hometown Boys & Girls Club, “when there was no place to go.”

Glen Farley

Growing up, it provided a home away from home for Ty Warren.

“It was a place to go,” the New England Patriots defensive end said of his hometown Boys & Girls Club, “when there was no place to go.”

A native of Bryan, Texas, the routine went unchanged.

“That was like my second home,” Warren said Thursday. “Wake up, get on the bus, go to school, go to practice, go to the Boys & Girls Club, go home. That was pretty much the routine every day. It provided a lot of opportunities for me from the time I started playing organized sports. My wife went there, but that’s another story … I was involved with it a lot.”

Years later, Ty and Kesha Warren’s continued involvement with the Boys & Girls Club will produce a feel-good holiday story.

On Dec. 11, 25 children from the Brockton Boys & Girls Club will take part in “Ty Warren’s Holiday Blitz” at Bob’s Store in Franklin.

Each child will receive $300 -- $100 from the non-profit “First and Goal” foundation Warren and his wife have established, $100 from the Patriots Charitable Foundation and $100 from Bob’s -– to do their own holiday shopping.

“I could go out there and get (the kids) a ton of toys and stuff like that,” Warren said, “but I mention necessities and sometime maybe a coat and clothes and boots and shoes and things like that are maybe more important than toys.”

The luck of the draw determined that the Brockton club would take part in this year’s event.

“There are so many Boys & Girls Clubs around New England, it’s almost like drawing a name out of a hat,” Warren said. “Last year, there was the Yawkey Boys & Girls Club (of Roxbury). I’ve done some things with the Dorchester Boys & Girls Club in the past and next year it will be somebody different. It’s just the way it went down.”

The event is slated to kick off at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 11. Warren and other Patriots are scheduled to attend. Warren was leaving fliers in his teammates' locker stalls Thursday.

“Basically, it just consists of me introducing myself to them because some of the kids never met me before,” Warren said.

“You just give them a brief insight on my life and my relationship with the Boys & Girls Club and then after that just have a good time, have some pizza.

“I make it a point to write a letter to them, also, so they will be able to reflect even if they don’t remember what I said that night because they’re so much in awe of maybe me or the other Patriots players that might attend. So I always write a letter and give them a little gift bag. We just have a good time and go shopping, just interact. They love it.”

For Warren, the event provides a trip back in time and, at the same time, a sense of payback.

“I’m able to give back and I have teammates that are willing to take away from what they’re doing and come out and join me and connect with the kids,” Warren said. “I always say that somebody gave to us at some point so it’s always good to give back to others.”